NIA promotes Chandra Kwaske to chief underwriting officer

Nonprofits Insurance Alliance has promoted Chandra Kwaske to chief underwriting officer, putting her in charge of underwriting for more than 25,000 nonprofit clients nationwide. The move strengthens NIA’s leadership team as the insurer continues to focus on stable, fairly priced coverage for the nonprofit sector.

Why it matters: - NIA insures more than 25,000 nonprofit organizations across the country, so leadership over underwriting affects coverage, pricing, and service for a large share of the nonprofit sector. - The promotion comes as NIA emphasizes long-term stability and specialized coverage for 501(c)(3) organizations.

What happened: - Nonprofits Insurance Alliance promoted Chandra Kwaske to chief underwriting officer. - Kwaske will lead NIA’s team of underwriters and work with independent insurance brokers. - NIA announced the promotion on Nov. 3, 2026, in Santa Cruz, California. - Pamela Davis, NIA’s founder, president and CEO, said the organization was “thrilled” to have Kwaske in the role.

The details: - Kwaske has more than 25 years of experience in the commercial insurance industry. - Her background includes work on diverse, hard-to-place commercial risks. - Before NIA, she spent 15 years at Burns & Wilcox. - At Burns & Wilcox, she rose from senior underwriter to underwriting director. - She led binding authority operations in Michigan and Ohio. - She also built agency partnerships that drove new business growth. - Kwaske joined NIA in 2019. - She has served as vice president of insurance operations since 2024, leading the Complex Business unit. - She has served as NIA’s interim chief underwriting officer since April 2026. - Kwaske said she looks forward to shaping underwriting strategies that support the nonprofit sector and to continuing NIA’s mission of providing stable, fairly priced coverage. - NIA says it is the nation’s leading liability and property insurer exclusively serving nonprofit organizations. - NIA was founded in 1989 in Santa Cruz, California. - NIA describes itself as a social enterprise focused on the long-term sustainability and management of risk in the nonprofit sector. - NIA says it has one of the best customer retention rates in the industry. - NIA members receive fair and equitable insurance pricing, specialized coverages, dividends, and risk management and member resources. - A consortium of nine foundations recently awarded NIA $25 million for its role in supporting nonprofit infrastructure. - The NIA group brand includes Alliance Member Services and three AM Best A- (Excellent)-rated insurers: Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California, Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance, RRG, and National Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance. - All organizations under the NIA brand are 501(c)(3) nonprofits. - NIA directs readers to learn more about the organization.

Between the lines: - The promotion elevates an internal leader who already had been running underwriting on an interim basis, which suggests continuity rather than a major strategic reset. - NIA’s emphasis on nonprofit-focused insurance and stable pricing points to a market position built around specialized risk management instead of broad commercial coverage.

What's next: - Kwaske will oversee underwriting strategy as NIA continues serving nonprofit clients nationwide. - NIA is likely to keep leaning on its broker network, member resources, and nonprofit-only model as it grows its book of business. - The organization’s public-facing channels include its LinkedIn page and Facebook page.